12 Helpful Tips When Taking Toddlers Grocery Shopping

1. Plan Your Trip

Plan your grocery shopping trip according to your toddler’s sleep and food timings. A hungry and tired kid is more likely to run out of patience and throw a tantrum while grocery shopping, than one that is well-fed and has napped well (2). However, with developmental changes setting in, your toddler could have inconsistent sleep and food times. Hence be prepared to leave either ahead of your scheduled time or later than that. The kid should be your priority.

2. Give Your Toddler a Ride 

You surely don’t want to push both the pram or stroller and the shopping cart. Let your toddler ride on the shopping cart. Don’t forget to carry the child seat, cart liner, and hand sanitizer along (3). Some supermarkets have colorful kid-friendly rides such as cars which can double as shopping carts for parents.

3. Pack Some Snacks or Start With Lunch in The Deli

Needless to say, never forget to carry some munchies for your toddler during your grocery shopping trip. You never know when your little one will demand food and sweets. If possible, carry your toddler’s favorite snack. This can help fill their tummy and keep them engrossed in munching to avoid all the other distractions near you. Alternatively, you could start your shopping journey with lunch in the deli. Buy a quick snack that your kid likes. Either let them finish it and proceed to the shopping section or let them eat as you shop.

4. Carry Entertainment For The Toddler

Never forget to carry either a picture book or a toy to keep your toddler entertained. The attention span of kids is very short (4). Hence they could soon get bored of all the riding around and looking at boring groceries. And you know well, what this boredom could result into! So be well-stocked with things that will keep your toddler busy and entertained.

5. Make a List And Double-Check it

Make a list of everything you need with their quantities. Double-check it and go over it before you leave home. This has a dual purpose – it saves time and stops you from roaming around in the aisles aimlessly.

6. Buy The Essentials First

A grocery store is a magical place for toddlers as they see many colorful objects, and forbidden sugar-laden sweets and cereal! Once your little one sets their eyes on these feasts, there’s no escape from billing them. All these attractive items are usually placed near the accompaniments in the grocery store. So, buy all the essentials such as produce, milk, bread, eggs, and meat first. You can then look to buy other things such as jams, spreads, and other accompaniments. Avoid aisles that you know are trouble spots. Check-out in candy-free check-out aisles to avoid nagging and bickering.

7. Give Your Toddler a Job to do

Toddlers feel motivated and happy when they are given some responsibilities and can be of help to their elders (5). While shopping, you can ask your kid to look for a specific red jar, spot the oranges and apples, and hold some lightweight items such as chips and cookies.

8. Make This Shopping Trip a Learning Opportunity

You can help your toddler learn a thing or two by showing them different shapes of fruits and vegetables, pasta, bottles, and cans. Teach them the names of some fruits and vegetables, read out the names of the grocery items you pick, and help them to read the alphabet in the labeling. Your shopping trip can turn into a fun learning experience with the numbers, alphabet, and adjectives.

9. Expect The Unexpected

The behavior of a toddler is unpredictable with giggles now and outbursts in the next minute. So be prepared with a plan of action to counter these tantrums. Make sure you buy everything you need early, if possible picking up the essentials placed in the perimeter of the store first. Be ready to bill your items as soon as possible and head out straight to your car, if the kid has a meltdown.

10. Praise Your Toddler

Yes, you read that right! It is important to praise the kids when they do something right. When they count the potatoes right, pat them on their back. When they spot a particular fruit correctly, smile at them to appreciate it. When they behave well, cuddle them and tell them how proud you are of them. Positive words work like positive reinforcement (6). This way, the next time you visit the store, they will behave well.

11. Ignore The Stares

When your toddler misbehaves or throws a fit in a public place, you receive stares and snarls, and sometimes some mean words too. If your toddler makes noise or does have a meltdown while you are not done with your shopping, carry on. Ignore the tantrums and complete your grocery shopping as fast as possible. Also, ignore the stares and mean words as much as you can. Do not lose your calm and tell yourself that you are the best at handling your troubles.

12. Stay Safe

Falls from the shopping carts, carts tipping over, a toddler getting trapped by a cart, or being run over by a cart are somethings you should be aware of when taking a toddler along. Never let your little one stand up in the cart or ride on the front, back, or side of the cart. Kids should not push carts without being supervised by an adult.

So remember the first few times you go grocery shopping with your toddler you may leave stressed out, and will end up with fewer groceries than you went in for. But remember taking toddler grocery shopping is a skill that both of you are developing. So don’t be afraid to venture out to the grocery store… try and try again!

FAQ’s

1. How do I Get my Toddler to Behave in The Grocery Store?

To make your toddler properly behave in the grocery store you will need to understand your kid’s behavioral patterns at first. Make sure your toddler has a good meal and sufficient sleep before the trip to minimize their irritability. Try to avoid stores with huge crowds and long queues. And most importantly praise your toddler when they behave well to encourage good behaviors.

2. How do You Stop Grocery Store Tantrums?

To stop grocery store tantrums you will need to calmly handle the situation. Tantrums are common in toddlers. You can use short but firm words to control the tantrums or you can ignore them to let the storm pass. But do not even harshly scold or punish your toddler for showing tantrums as these may negatively impact their behavior.

3. Why Does my Toddler Hate Shopping?

Your toddler does not hate shopping. Toddlers actually hate being neglected and bored while you are engrossed in your shopping. They want to roam around the entire shop, pick whatever attracts them, and play with it. And naturally you do not let them do that, so, they hate shopping as a result. But if you involve them in your shopping they will also enjoy it.

References

1. Workaholism, Work Engagement and Child Well-Being: A Test of the Spillover-Crossover Model – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7504585/]
2. Temper Tantrums – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544286/]
3. Improving safety-restraint use by children in shopping carts: evaluation of a store-based safety intervention – [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16882831/]
4. Focused Attention in Toddlers – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2607062/]
5. Motivational Influences on Cognitive Performance in Children: Focus Over Fit – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3087182/]
6. Behavior Modification – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459285/]